ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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The extra outlet is for a second header tank to keep temps low? Not quite. It's nothing much on an ST220 or any V6 Mk3 Mondeo, but it needs blanking off. Normally these come with a rubber bung to fit onto the end of the outlet.  However, on both V6s my dad and I have owned, those bungs have let go. While the RAC man was muttering potential HG, my dad and I wondered what it could be. We realised the bungs were unreinforced. Other OEMs I think have also used this style (Porsche did on 944 S2s), but I'd had to check if they were unreinforced. Then again, 944s ran a much lower pressure and less heat than a V6 Mondeo, which was no doubt driven by emissions. I could go into changing ECU mapping and fan controllers, but I want a more elegent solution. The way I see it, I have 3 options: -Weld the rad tank up : The best solution, but it will also ruin any warranty the rad has -Get a bit of reinforced hose and chuck a bolt in. It works but it can look a little bodgy, and it may end up rubbing elsewhere (i.e slam panel). -Block it off another way -Buy another radiator without the port : I've since found someone who can do them without the port, but they are £100. Hella, who sell one for £190, don't also have any in stock. Madness that a port change drives the cost up so much. But then TDCIs are far more common. What I've decided to do is to buy a reinforced bung. They do exist. Yes, they are £12, but when you are in Alum Rock in Brum, and the unreinforced hose lets you, you soon being to wish you spent the cash as you wait for the RAC man to turn up. Yup, I've been here before and got the T-Shirt, and then got the wet T-Shirt (easy there guys!) while fixing the radiator with a bolt in a bit of pipe. Anyway, here it is. I was trying to keep it quiet as I'm not sure the entire lot will be reinforced, but I may as well let the cat out of the bag  .  Hopefully, it won't be a waste of £12, and a cheap, yet neat solution to an issue with these rads. Remember, I'm trying to get this car 'right' on a budget. It's already at what I wanted to spend. I'll give an update there soon  . Those different treads on those tyres are hitting my OCD button big time!!! All 4 of mine are different, too, I try not to look. At the first opportunity when other stuff stops breaking I'm going to get 4 the same. Your car is starting to look well. 😃 It annoys me too. To me, it shows a little carelessness, looking at cost as the only thing for running a car. I'll run two types of tread on a car as I await for the others to wear out, but generally not more than that. It always amazes me with how unfussy some people are with tyres on their daily driver. And how the same people usually moan that the car pulls one way, or is noisy on a certain road  I've been here before with a few cars. I bought some Clio Valver wheels with Toyo T1Rs all round. One of them had worn funny. From just a tyre switch, my Clio 172 pulled very hard to one side. 2 new Uniroyals, and it drove far straighter (well, it was straight) and was quieter too. I would normally try and go with 4 tyres being the same straight away on any car I buy initially, but I HATE splashing out on tyres. Maybe my taste is too rich for tyres. Maybe I'm too much of a snob on tyres. It could even be that I got a little unlucky with some tyre brands, where I still spent what seemed like alot of cash. However, when the car is driving right and you are on the right you, you don't care then. That and at least it looks good having 4 matching boots. These I changed as I wasn't very happy with the wheels or tyres at all. That and I doubt I would have saved much (if any) going mid-range, for the amount the Goodyears set me back . |
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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May 12, 2021 21:54:58 GMT
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It’s another photo time, and let’s just say things escalated a little quickly. An update will arrive soon. All I’ll say is the car will be closer to one shade of silver a lot closer than I expected. I also had to work like a madman to make it happen. This would be the second time in 2 years that the car would go more than 10miles. This time, with me driving it .      Yes, this did today become a Mondeo held together with gaffer tape. The sill cover was indeed done that way. But I can divulge more later |
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jmsheahan
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 689
Club RR Member Number: 121
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Lovely. Samco bung looks a neat solution. Can't say I'm particularly clued up on Mondeos or Fords in general, but I'm enjoying the attention to detail and your approach to refreshing the car.
I recently bought a Clio 182 Cup as a budget daily. It's so easy to get carried away so I'm admiring your careful watch of the budget and quest to spend wisely!
Keep the updates coming.
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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May 16, 2021 15:46:30 GMT
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Cheers jmsheahan! It may look like I am being cheap, but as you say, I'm coming close to the end of the budget! As you say, it's so hard to do a car right, yet also be thrifty. I'll give an update on the costs soon enough. Going from the above shots, the Samco bung arrived. I do not hesitate in fitting this. This bung was harder to fit than the supplied item Nissens et al. tend to supply, but it certainly is a sturdy and more importantly, a reinforced bung. I have also ordered a few more cooling parts, where I'll provide the date in time.   I was getting ready to: -Finish off assembling the front of the car -Make a start on overhauling the cooling system -Service the car However, something would come along to derail these plans. My friend informed me of his cheap painter a while ago, and this week, he stated that a slot came up, which I could take up. This was alot more sudden than I expected, and to be honest, I did not know if the car would even be ready! After all: -The bumper was only attached to the wing by two fixings, that's it. -Headlights were loose -Grille was still attached to the car due to sealant being on the grille. I then decided to call the painter. Part of me was tempted to sack off the paintwork now. After all, it's going to cost me cash to get it painted, and as a new homeowner, I'm trying to be a little slow on the spending while I 'adjust' to bills etc. But then sometimes. you just have to get it done. At least this way, I can use the car eh? The grille in these cars is held in normally by these clips:  However, they are around £20 from the dealer, so folks tend to get creative. The most common way is to zip tie the grille on, which folks claim you can't see (you can). This one was glued on. Where the glue had failed, the grill came off fine. However, one clip was refusing to debond. With the Dremel, I ground down the glue enough, which allowed me to remove the grille. The wing-to-bumper fixings were fiddly to fit due to poor access, and me now going to a nut and bolt solution as opposed to the rivnuts the factory used. However, since I cleaned the threads out of the salvageable rivnuts or used the new ones, I cracked on and fitted it. Headlights, as anyone who has changed bulbs on a Mk3 will know, are a doddle to remove and refit, thanks to a very elegant pin securing solution. The sills were a sticking point. The covers are glued on from the factory, and the bonding agent takes time to set. Given that I was never going to be able to grab the bonding agent in time and drop the car off, I had to make a rash decision. Out came the gaffer tape, where I taped the cover both onto the wing, and the bumper. As extra security, I then tied a series of zip ties from the jacking point cover, to the wing edge. I then created a stay for the cable off this to an adjacent hole. Crude, but would it be effected? Finally, it was time to drive it. This would be the second time the car had seen the road in a couple of years now:  That is one very flattering shot! It did look like a barn find/slight scrapyard car on the road, with alot of dust on the car due to it not being washed in years, and the differently colour bumper and wing did not help! It was then time to drive it around the block, to see if it would actually be able to do the trip. Initially driving it up the road, I forgot about why I like these V6s. They are so smooth, predictable and just nice in the driving experience. I won't say it feels special, but it certainly feels nice. With well weighted controls, good driving position coupled with those comfy Recaros, a very slick gearshift, and an engine which pulls well low down, I was enjoying the spin. However, the car felt a little unstable on some bends, almost like something was loose on the suspension. It soon occured to me that I left the tyre stickers on. A rookie error, but they would soon wear away, and leave me with a lovely handling car. So, I made it around the block, so it was time to go to the paintshop. I forgot why the press liked these. These are not quick, but they certainly make great progress, better I'd hate to say than the 323i of the day, which despite RWD just feels very dull compared to this. The steering is well weighted, and the engine sounds decent, which thanks to the dual air intake of these earlier cars, really makes a lovely induction noise under load. What's more, gearing is actually very good. I may change my opinion here soon, but the 5 speed's ratios are just right. You change gear often enough, but the ratios are well spaced. 5th is quite short for a V6 car, at almost 3000rpm at 70MPH ; the MTX-75 'boxes had the ratios altered in the ST220. While it may be busy if going down the autobahn, it's spot on for the back country blast. Yup, I remembered why I adored my V6 3.0 Ghia X, and alot more. That said, there was stuff not to like about the car. I had some looks driving it over. After all, it was partially held together with Gaffer tape, and it had a layer of dust and dirt on it. Furthermore, the brake pedal didn't inspire confidence. I know the ST220 brakes aren't always praised by some but the brakes were never this poor. This will have to be something I investigate when I get the car back. They are probably fine to others, but I want the car right, especially on something which I'll enjoy driving. |
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Well, I finally got this back. Doesn't it look marvelous? It has highlighted that I need to mop the rest of the car that's not seen paint, but it's certainly getting there! Now it's time to tackle the rest of the cosmetics, as well as some mechanical aspects .     But this will have to wait until after RRW . |
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jun 21, 2021 22:34:59 GMT
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Despite this page being quiet for a while, I've actually made alot of progress on this car. There has been a bit of an up, as well as a down, and now, the car is in pieces. It feels very much like 1 step forward, and two steps back, but for now, I'm going to focus on the good stuff. One issue the car had was a broken boot lock. Basically, it was stuck in position. The boot was always open, and would not close. Initially I thought it was broken. This issue is not one I've seen on any of my MkIII Mondeos, and many of them saw alot of use. However, given these are getting on a bit, I decided to Google, first, prior to just buying parts, and getting on with it. What I found was that the boot solenoids are known to seize up, which does not allow the boot to be closed. With this knowledge, I went ahead and took the mechanism off the boot.  With the mechanism removed from the assembly, the problem was apparent. The solenoid has seized into the open position. After hitting it on the table a little, the mechanism freed itself quickly! Upon trying to open and close it, it appeared that the mechanism was quite stiff. As a result, I decided to grease the shaft (easy there guys!), and clean it up. Soon, the solenoid was far freer than before. With this done, it was time to reassemble it, and try again. Thankfully, it worked, and I had a boot fitted for the price of 15 minutes of effort. Now these are the fixes we all like . Note the open shaft. Damn, I dropped in the shaft again!  The part where I have destroyed it again? I'll say more in the next post. |
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jun 23, 2021 23:29:07 GMT
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It's fair to say this thread has been very quiet. The truth is -I'm finally semi-settling into the new pad -The unit movements are almost done -The tinkering with the cars is now held up more by parts delays rather than a lack of the right tools. What this means is the work is speeding up. No longer am I mucking around between 2 sites. The garage is now my core sight. A big win! -RRG prep took some time too! What this means is I have quite the update to give, and naturally, this will take time. Despite me fixing the boot lock motor, there were other issues on the car. The main one was the cooling system. In short, it blew a house 1 mile from my house. I knew as the high speed fans cut in, which they only tend to do if the coolant is at 105 degrees C. Ouch! As a result, I dumped it at home and forgot about the car for a while. However, the mojo despite it waning, like the Moon, would begin waxing again, and come back. With this renewed vigour, it was time to crackon with the many tasks on this car. The first one? Replace the spark plugs. As a good sign, these had all been changed before at some point. It's not often I've seen that. I also saw a twin of my car (well, almost) at RRW, parked close to me. I did envy the guy, as he would have the choice of sleeping in the boot of his car, as opposed to a tent!  The next thing? It was time to remove the poor condition bonnet liner. Clearly, someone was lazy with diagnosing a washer jet issue. What what I do? Simple. Re-use the old one from the Silver Pig that a friend and I broke. Yes, it could be a nicer example, but for my car, it would sort out the ripped boot liner issue just fine.     While I was sorting out the bonnet liner, I decided to replace the spark plugs, as I mentioned before:  However, with the car having blown a coolant hose, and others not being in great condition, it was time to strip down the car again. However, I would be presented with an issue. The rad support bracket bolts were very corroded. So corroded that the fixings would need drilling out. I may do this later, but at the time, I decided to loosen the front panel and juggle it about so that I could just about get the radiator out with the bumper, subframe and rad supports in situ:    Upon checking other others, it was clear that many were not long for this world.     That bottom hose with a crack in the corner of it? It's NLA from Ford now. As I came to place the order, my guy had the email to confirm that I would not be getting it. Annoying, but these things do happen. At least the hose off the Silver Pig is reasonable. This takes you up to where I was with the car a week ago. A few more things have happened since, but they are going to have to wait . |
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that gearing is really low, bmw is doing 100 @3000 revs in top,
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Last Edit: Jun 24, 2021 9:09:57 GMT by legend
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jun 27, 2021 21:26:58 GMT
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that gearing is really low, bmw is doing 100 @3000 revs in top, Indeed! My Mondeo 2.5T is around that tall too. The Focus STs with the same gearbox (well, they are about Volvo M66s) and near enough the same engine feel significantly quicker, due to shorter gearing. With one E46 M3 specialist, this has become one trick he's using on M3s (Going from a 3.7:1 to a 4.1:1 diff.) It really makes the M3s pick themselves up and go, but at the cost of cruising as nicely as a stock car, but it seems many don't even mind that. It seems this is the way Ford went with the early ST220s. I have to say, for moving about, the ratios do seem tightly, yet nicely spaced, so as to give that sporty feel. So, I fixed a lock. But what else have I done? I was busy undoing some bodges that I did in order to get the car to the paintshop. I know, I know, how could I, you folks ask? Well, in my defence they weren't quite Roadkill bad, and they were reversible. One of the bodges were the number plate screws on the back. Because the factory screws snapped off clean in the rivnuts, I stuck down lashings of double sided tape, knowing that, despite trying to clean the plate plinth with pre-paint, the plate wasn't going to stay stuck down. But I needed a plate to get me there, and the double sided tape did the job, just. It was time to reinstate the factory fixings. But this wasn't going to be easy. After all, the fixings were snapped off. Initially, I tried to re-use the rivnuts. This would be futile, but a boy's got to try right?  I had some Irwin left-handed Cobalt drill bits, and a very old Makita drill. With mole grips on the rivnuts, I went in. I managed to drill into the centre of the bolts, but it was obvious that the bolts were far too corroded into the rivnuts. It was then time to get the biggest drill bit out and just drill the rivnuts off carefully.   With this done, it was time to fix the wiper motor which was broken. Normally I would go away and buy a secondhand one. However: -I'm trying to go cheap on this -There is a satisfaction to fixing what you already have. Most ST folks remove these, but I do like a rear wiper, especially on those wet days where you can remove them. Yes, they may look ugly to some, but meh. Maybe it's the HubNut inside me coming out. With that in mind, I removed the rear wiper motor and began to break it down into a sub-assembly.   With it apart, it was clear that the grease was very congealed and over the contacts. Had it been apart before or was it just the way they were done? It's hard to tell. With this in mind, I degreased the gears and got some of the Redline CV2 grease I used for the M3 CV rebuld. OK, it was what I had lying around and without further information, it may not be the best grease for it. But fresh, good quality grease is going to be better than used up grease right?   But would this fix work or would it be a waste? Of course it would work! I had complete faith along the way! Well, maybe not complete faith, but let's gloss over that. It seems that Mk3 estate wiper motors are becoming rarer. I looked on eBay for one after I did the job. The wise thing to do eh? Know what you could have been in for if the repair didn't work out. It turns out it was a good job I did! The prices range between £35-75 for a secondhand estate wiper motor! The prices drops dramatically with Mk4 estate motors as well as Mk3 hatchback motors, but not these. It's funny, I've not really seen another ST220 on the road for some time now. Are they being locked away? What was surprising was seeing this car's forefather, the ST200 and it's prices now. When did they become so expensive? £10k? Wow! Maybe if these follow suit, which I doubt, I should be splashing the cash more! But then again, it does now owe me alot more than when I bought it! Some would say I could get a good car for what this cost me. But what is a good car? I like having something fully serviced, working well with age considerations given, as well as having decent rubber all round . This is not the only update. Yesterday, I would hit a stumbling block. But more on that later. |
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I don't have anything constructive to add so have been quiet, but thought I would post just to say that I am enjoying the thread and the work you doing is great, thanks for posting!
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jun 28, 2021 20:04:45 GMT
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I don't have anything constructive to add so have been quiet, but thought I would post just to say that I am enjoying the thread and the work you doing is great, thanks for posting! Well, anything is constructive in the right light. Cheers! I'm glad the thread is being enjoyed as much as it is! Seeing all the comments does aid with not ebbing away the mojo quite as much on this car. After all, I'm getting quite stuck into it! As for what I've done on the car, remember the wiper blade job? Well I do! The wipers were clearly on the wrong way. How this car passed the MOT like this is unknown. From the receipts, the wipers have been like this for 5-6 years. Maybe this is why the bumper got broken, through poor visibility!  A few folks I know, including one on here have been asking me to start doing YouTube videos. I've never seen myself as a true vlogger/influencer in all honesty, but I do like to help folks out. So, I thought I'd share some knowledge about how to remove wiper blades. I know, they are very exciting eh? Want to know how to remove stuck arms? Well, now you can? I await the complaints! And yes, I forgot some audio for the mix! In my defence, time isn't really on my side! This is one reason why I didn't really want to make it. But, if it helps a fellow brother or sister out, who can complain eh? We'll see if this comes in handy. I've used this technique for years and not had a problem . Anyway, now the arms were off, it was time to put the arms onto the relative shafts, unlike the last moron who changed these.  So I had visibility again! At least for when the car runs again! I would then compare the new thermostat hose to the old one. It was quite clearly done!   However, one hose on the weekend would provide a stumbling block. The water pump to block hose. These are known for being poor for access and baking themselves on. I had to remove the plastic coolant manifold with car, and once that was done, I would end up cutting the hose off.   Lovely, what great access! That's with the battery, headlight and a couple of other bits removed. And people moaned about the spark plugs being hard to change on these!  With the coolant manifold liberated, it was time to cut the old hose off. It was very much baked on, like many of them are!    Yup, the hose was toast!  |
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Jun 29, 2021 10:38:39 GMT
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I, too, havn't replied as I have nothing to add.
I have read everything you've posted.
Keep it up.
I'm not a fan of the cliff hanger endings though, I wanna know now not in the next update!!!
😁
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Jul 14, 2021 13:34:52 GMT
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I, too, havn't replied as I have nothing to add. I have read everything you've posted. Keep it up. I'm not a fan of the cliff hanger endings though, I wanna know now not in the next update!!! 😁 Don't kid yourself, we all love a cliff hanger! The main reason for them mind you, is simply because I've been a busy boy! Aloy of the work I did prior to RRW, but I simply did not have the time to put on all of the updates, so inevitably, a lag arrives. But I like to see this as turbo lag . That and typing time can also be working time on the car . I need to figure out how to type more effectively, and succintly, but who are we kidding? We all love a buildup! Anyway, back to the writing. Besides doing the mechanical stuff, I decided to tackle other areas of the car while I was waiting for a parts holdup. One par of the cooling system I neglected was the thermostat. Upon removing the thermostats from the two housings I had, I was greeted with three thermostats, with the Third Musketeer being the new item.   From top to bottom, these were the part nos. | Car | Part No | Difference/Notes | | 1X4E 8575 EA | ST220 Estate | Sealing dying internally. No other real issues | | F73E 8575 AA | Silver Pig | No rubber coating, potentially brass thermostat in places. Forces item | | 1X4E 8575 EB | ST220 Estate | Updated Suffix from EA to EB - an engineering running change (supersession) |
It was interesting to see that the police ST220 had a different item to the factory cars. It doesn't cross over either which is strange. However, all thermostats share the same opening temperature, and all have a large opening, which not many of the aftermarket items don't. Maybe this is another reason why these V6s have cooling issues. Anyway, I digress. I'd throw it in, and crack on!  With new seals, it was time to fit on the plastic coolant manifold.  Remember those two shot large water pump hoses? I do! I'd fit the new items and admire them:  I would then hit a snag. I would look at the hose which blew on me on the car. The hose from the Silver Pig was the wrong hose. Too big (18mm vs 16mm) and twisted in the wrong ways completely. I'd end up fitting this on just to see if the car would run OK.  Yup, this is probably why the car had K Seal thrown into it. The hose was toast. Any idea how much this oil cooler to heater matrix hose is? £15, 30, 50? The price is (drum roll)  £97 retail! Yikes! Sure, at least it's a hose they stock, albeit it's deffered for ordering, but that's madness! I have another plan but that is going to have to wait. I'd then connect up everything the radiator. It all seemed to be going well, bar one thing....:  Seen these clips? While I got lucky in having mine usable, I lost two of the silly things! Do Ford sell these seperately? I'll let you guess that one. Considering this is a modern car here, I'm having an awful lot of parts issues I think you'll agree. I thought moderns had zero parts availability issues....  However, putting my thinking cap on, asking Google the right questions, and I'd eventually find something which would fit. It was made for a VW, but it's the same as what Ford use anyway. Total price? £3.50 delivered for 2 clips! This would save the day, allowing me to throw the fan pack into place and run the car up.    The result was the car warmed up superbly, and also cooled down just as I remember Ford V6s doing so all those years ago. Success! With the engine warm, I'd move onto the oil change. This would be the first time the car had left the garage under its own steam.  It was then oil filter comparison time. You know those folks who go, genuine, schmeniune? "It doesn't matter, they're all the same! Comline and Mahle all come from the same factory" is what they'll say. Well here's an example of maybe some truth in that, and also some misconceptions. At the top we have a Ford filter, and at the bottom, a Mahle filter.   They're the same right? Well, except a few things -Ford item has more holes, maybe for more flow? -The Bypass valve is at the top of the oil filter for the Ford item. Ford do this as they believe if the filter is blocked, the oil pressure is less likely to drop, if the filter is taken out of the equation here. -Ford filters are made by Purolator, in the USA, for almost all of their cars, bar some engines where they'll lean on that OEM for the supplier (i.e the Volvo engine in my Mondeo 2.5T, or maybe even the PSA units). From a logistics and duty POV, this would be a bit of a nightmare and cost for Ford. But there must be a reason why they go with Purolator, and not one of the more local offerings, or even one of their Chinese counterparts (i.e Mann & Hummell China and Mahle China ; no, really!). Ford ignition coils for example now come out of China for the Duratec V6. But I would stop looking at filters, and crack on with the job at hand. Changing the oil. In truth the oil wasn't as bad as I thought. The filter however, had the seal go hard, which is why it was leaking. Upon opening it up, the material was very dry. It didn't break up until I disturbed it. It's a good job I changed the filter ASAP! While I kind of showed that the Ford filter was better, I used the Mahle item, as I plan to change the oil again at some point quickly. However, the oil is very clean inside the engine still, which is a good sign. Maybe this car was laid up for longer than I thought.  With this done, I built up more of the front of the car. Is there more to come? Of course there is! I'm in the process of doing some things however, and given I hit a bus this week, I'm going to try and ease off progress on the car.  |
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75swb
Beta Tester
Posts: 1,052
Club RR Member Number: 181
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Jul 15, 2021 11:46:57 GMT
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You hit a bus? In a damned good thrashing kind of a way or more serious? Hope you're OK! Car looks great btw
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Jul 15, 2021 23:01:58 GMT
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Considering this is a modern car here, I'm having an awful lot of parts issues I think you'll agree. I thought moderns had zero parts availability issues.... It would certainly seem a lot less hassle to get parts for a 26-year-old Range Rover than this! Also echo the above and trust all's well? |
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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I appreciate the support folks! It's not how I wanted to start the week. I also didn't want to start it with the dreaded ping! But it's the way! Basically I was on my road bike. What happened next? -I went to overtake a stationary bus -There was a previously dug out repair going across the road. The cars going over it has worn down little trenches into it. -My bike hit the pothole while I was looking to see if someone else was overtaking me as I was overtaking the bus -The handlebars quite literally jumped out of my hands and it seemed like the bike did too! -I regained my balance but I leant back as if I was riding handsfree. I was then going into the middle of a busy road into oncoming traffic -I then grabbed the handlebars, but not where the brakes were (they were too far for me to reach within a split second -The bike was then snaking as I pulled the bike away from the middle of the road. I then hit the bus and was unconcious for a bit and then disorientated for a short while longer. It was not what I wanted, but hey, these things do happen. The next day, my friend and I had a ping from we assume a pub we went to last week. Annoying to say the least. But that day was over on the Friday. You hit a bus? In a damned good thrashing kind of a way or more serious? Hope you're OK! Car looks great btw Cheers for the support! The car has hit one milestone in being roadworthy (now), but that update will have to wait, and there is still some way to go. Considering this is a modern car here, I'm having an awful lot of parts issues I think you'll agree. I thought moderns had zero parts availability issues.... It would certainly seem a lot less hassle to get parts for a 26-year-old Range Rover than this! Also echo the above and trust all's well? I think the RRs have more aftermarket support than 80s to 00s Fords. It realy makes you appreciate something like the M3's support. I'm told even Renaults are bad now. Alot of 172 parts are drying up like rear wiper arms, driveshafts etc. VW told my friend that the B5.5 Passat that VW was slowing down support for them too. Anyway, I better get back to work on the ST! |
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Crikey Chas, that sounds nasty. Glad you're still in one piece.
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Paul
Posted a lot
Posts: 2,004
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Firstly I hope you're on the mend from the cycle accident - I used to be big into my road biking but every week someone I knew was having an off, breaking a collarbone, totalling their bikes...I had a couple of wobbles and lost confidence. I hope yours comes back sharpish With this done, it was time to fix the wiper motor which was broken. Normally I would go away and buy a secondhand one. However: -I'm trying to go cheap on this -There is a satisfaction to fixing what you already have. The rear wiper motor on my daily seized up just yesterday - I need to do the same job. 23 quid for a replacement but I'm hoping to unjam mine for free...much more satisfying. |
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ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,307
Club RR Member Number: 170
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Firstly I hope you're on the mend from the cycle accident - I used to be big into my road biking but every week someone I knew was having an off, breaking a collarbone, totalling their bikes...I had a couple of wobbles and lost confidence. I hope yours comes back sharpish With this done, it was time to fix the wiper motor which was broken. Normally I would go away and buy a secondhand one. However: -I'm trying to go cheap on this -There is a satisfaction to fixing what you already have. The rear wiper motor on my daily seized up just yesterday - I need to do the same job. 23 quid for a replacement but I'm hoping to unjam mine for free...much more satisfying. I know exactly what you mean about the confidence loss! I do want to get out again as I was building up my speed nicely. However, with a sore but fully moving elbown and a neck which despite full movement is a little stiff at the extremities and with I think tougher muscles on the right hand side (the side of the impact) I'll give it time . I'm debating going to a Hybrid bike, something which can deal with the potholes. I could avoid them, yes, but I'm aware drivers, like most matters in the press currently are very impatient now, and will think nothing of doing an overtake on you when you are overtaking. I could stop that, but let's be honest, it would also stop me cycling completely, as walking wouldn't be alot slower. The wiper repair I'm happy with. It seems estate wiper motors are drying up. That and it's more cash saved towards other things on the car. The tailgate handle marked the tailgate slightly, due to the gaskets getting flat over time and one getting out of place. This I am sure is no doubt down to the tailgate release switch going bad, which I've seen too many times before. Since I was on a money saving roll, I called up Ford for the gaskets. I knew they wouldn't be cheap, but I did not think they would be £35! But at least I could buy them! With renewed vigour from the wiper arm job, I decided to try something else. Sticky backed foam material, similar to the factory, cut down to the right shape. I'll let the pictures do the talking. One side was not cut the best, but the contact points were fine. I probably could have cut away less in hindsight (I suspect the holes for the lamps are there for testing), but ultimately, it's doing the job the gasket is intended to do .      It was then time to do a bit of rustproofing in the tailgate courtesy of Dynax S60  With the trim on again, the car was looking a little more complete  The keen eyed will have spotted one small detail. The HEKO deflectors were gone! I was in two minds about keeping these in all honesty. But given I had put the car back to near standard(ish) it seemed right to get rid of them. This has already proven to be an interesting one with my friends.    I'll let you folks decide on what looks better. Some of you will have spotted that the offside mirror is missing. Why? Frankly, the last one had been bodged into place, all to avoid as far as I can tell, removing a connector from the door, which requires the doorcard to come off.  That baseplate should not be held in with self tappers from the front or have the baseplate in two! Here however, I would begin to notice a few issues. For one, it seems facelift mirrors are different to pre-facelift items. They are smoother in their looks. Annoyingly for me, the plugs are different, meaning that they need to be changed. I'm not sure if it's just a case of cutting the wires and switching plugs, but it's something I do plan to check. I know from previous experience it doesn't always work that way. What I may try to do is to see if I can make a good mirror out of the two in time. But since I needed the car roadworthy for the weekend, due to sleeping arrangements, I rushed and threw the mirror on without changing the wiring. A little butch I know, but needs must at times. I'll have to get around to sorting this soon.    It was then time to change the breather hoses. One of the elbows had completely disintegrated. Since my pipes were fine, I bought a set of elbows from Roose Motorsport. Price at £39 but they are lined items unlike many cheap silicone alternatives, and they look now to have aided in making the engine bay less grubby. Even the straight pipe on mine was perishing. This pipe assembly came from the Silver pig, but at least the pipe could be used.   It was then time to compare the old with the new, and fit it all onto the car.   Would this be the last thing needed to be done prior to the car hitting the road? Of course not! That update will be coming next . |
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Jul 23, 2021 18:57:00 GMT
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Very nice. I've always had a soft spot for these and I don't think they've aged at all. They're the best styled of the early noughties family cas IMO. The estate in V6 is especially cool.
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